Minn. GOP cries foul over tax-cut letter naming Dayton

Minnesota Republicans say the state Department of Revenue shouldn't have cited Gov. Mark Dayton's role in enacting recent tax breaks in a letter sent to people who might benefit.

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By Associated Press

Crookston Times - Crookston, MN

By Associated Press

Posted Apr. 24, 2014 at 9:00 PM

By Associated Press

Posted Apr. 24, 2014 at 9:00 PM

St. Paul, Minn.

Minnesota Republicans say the state Department of Revenue shouldn't have cited Gov. Mark Dayton's role in enacting recent tax breaks in a letter sent to people who might benefit.

Republican state senators argued Wednesday that use of Dayton's name in the letter turned it into a political document. The letter went to some people who qualified for additional deductions or credits because of a bill passed in March.

It starts with a message that Dayton signed the bill and then offers routine information about claiming the breaks. A similar 2010 letter from the Revenue Department included then-Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's name.

Dayton spokesman Linden Zakula calls the GOP criticism "another baseless attack" and says nothing in Minnesota law prohibits the Revenue Department from mentioning a governor's name in an official letter.